Rahul comes clean about Headley

Hussain Zaidi of 'Black Friday' fame to co-author a book with Rahul Bhatt on the fitness trainer's connection with former 'friend' and 26/11 mastermind

Hussain Zaidi of 'Black Friday' fame to co-author a book with Rahul Bhatt on the fitness trainer's connection with former 'friend' and 26/11 mastermind

Mahesh Bhatt's son Rahul Bhatt, who had a prolonged friendship with the alleged 26/11 mastermind David Headley has been busy the past two years. He will soon release a tell-all book on his association with the Pakistani-American Headley, and helping him is none other than Hussain Zaidi, author of Black Friday, based on the '93 bomb blasts that rocked Mumbai.

Hussain Zaidi with Ekta Kapoor at the launch of Mafia Queens Of Mumbai in May. He will co-author a book with Rahul Bhatt based on the latter's association with alleged 26/11 mastermind David Headley

Bhatt's book, tentatively titled Headley & I, was reportedly pre-sold at a whopping rate to HarperCollins and it will be released in early 2012.

Speaking on the book and its genesis Zaidi said, "Our target is to get it ready in the first half of 2012. That's the deadline given by our publishers HarperCollins. Rahul and I are collaborating on his story. It is an amazing chronicle of a man whose life reached the brink of a disaster."

Zaidi said he was fascinated by the honesty with which Bhatt narrated his story. "There was no attempt to hide anything. Rahul's story will shock the world because of its stark simplicity and how easy it is for a man to get trapped in terrorism. He met Headley when the alleged 26/11 mastermind was on a prolonged recce in Mumbai. David befriended Rahul because he saw himself in Rahul. They both come from dysfunctional families and are loners. David took Rahul under his wing to groom him into a replica. I was shocked when Rahul told me, 'I could've become another Rana.' That's when I decided to collaborate with Rahul and tell the world his story."
Tahawwur Hussain Rana is a Pakistani Canadian, who was questioned for his role in the 26/11 attacks. He was however, found not guilty of involvement.

Zaidi said the book will offer two perspectives. "The first perspective would be that offered by the cops who investigated the 26/11 attacks. The second would be Rahul's perspective. Together they will provide a comprehensive view of how the global terrorism network affects India."

Zaidi, who recently released another cracker of a novel in the crime non-fiction genre, titled Mafia Queens Of Mumbai, said this book was a different experience.

"It had the publishers so charged up that they gave us a whopping advance.The money being paid is unheard of for non-fiction in India," says Hussain.

Incidentally, Bhatt is compelled by contract to not speak about Headley on any other platform but the book.

"There have been many offers from television channels and other media. I will tell the entire story only once," said Bhatt, who will also share his troubled relationship with his father in the book.